


Stakeout

by Anonymous



Category: Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: A.I.M., Avengers - Freeform, Best Friends, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Buddies, Competition, Conflict, Crime Fighting, Drama, Friendship, Gen, Mission Fic, Protective Steve Rogers, Rivalry, Sam Has Issues, Self-Sacrifice, Stakeout, Surveillance, Trust Issues, selflessness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-23 22:53:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9685448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: When Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson are asked to go on a stakeout together, their tempers flare and things don’t go as expected.





	

It came to the Avengers’ attention that the terrorist arms dealers and scientists of Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) recently made a deal to sell some of its technological weaponry. In order to intercept the shipment, the Avengers needed to know the minute the weapons were on the move.

Steve Roger wanted the best eyes on A.I.M.’s facility, so he decided to ask his trusted friends Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson to do a stakeout.

“You want me to do a stakeout with _Barnes?”_   Sam asked with surprise.

“Yes,” Steve answered.

“Come on, Cap! You know he’s used to working alone and has his own way of doing things.”

“He’s the best surveillance man I’ve ever known. We can trust him to do the job.”

“But will he cooperate and work with the team?” Sam queried still unconvinced.

“You have my word on it,” Steve promised.

“Fine...I’ll do it for you,” Sam agreed.

All Steve had left to do now was to ask Bucky. After telling him about A.I.M.’s plan, he solicited his friend’s help.

“You know I can’t be seen working with the Avengers,” Bucky reminded him.

“You won’t be seen or jeopardize us in any way. We just need you to keep an eye on A.I.M. and let us know the minute they start to move on their shipment.

“Okay...Sounds easy enough. When do I start?” asked Bucky.

“Intel says they could start moving as early as tonight. We need you to move into position as soon as possible and keep an eye on things.”

“Roger that,” Bucky replied.

“By the way...you’ll have help on this stakeout. Sam Wilson will join you,” Steve confessed.

“What? Wilson? What makes you think I need a sidekick for this mission? Have I ever?” Bucky protested.

“It’s not that you can’t do it alone. I’d just rather that you have backup in case something goes wrong,” Steve replied.

“What would make you think something would go wrong? After all these years, you suddenly doubt me?”

“Buck, you’re the best there is! Just work with Sam on this. Do it for me, will ya?” Steve pled.

He thought about it for a moment and then sighed.

“All right. I’ll do it your way. But if there’s any problems –”

“There won’t be. I’m putting the two best men on the job,” Steve insisted.

“Fine...I’ll suit up,” Bucky agreed.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Sam arrived at a building across the street from the A.I.M. warehouse at 5:00 p.m. to find Bucky already there.

“Barnes,” Sam greeted him.

“Wilson,” he replied.

“Cap asked me to help you with this stakeout,” Sam advised him.

“I don’t need any help, Sam. Just sit in that chair over there, stay out of my way, and this should all go pretty smoothly,” said Bucky.

“You’re pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you, Barnes? Cap wouldn’t have asked me to babysit you without a reason.”

Bucky stared at Sam for a long moment.

“You know, you’re pretty funny. Steve never told me what a comedian you are. You’re not ‘babysitting’ me, sweetheart; you’re my sidekick,” Bucky remarked.

“Calm down, Sleeping Beauty. Everyone could use some help now and then.”

“This is gonna be a long night,” Bucky sighed.

Looking around at the assassin’s gear, Sam saw two pairs of night vision goggles, assorted pistols, small explosives, and a rifle.

“You look prepared for everything,” Sam observed.

“That’s the idea – just like a Boy Scout.”

“Well, let’s get to work, then,” replied Sam.

As Bucky looked across the street using a scope, Sam looked down at the assassin’s left leg and quickly removed a gun from his thigh holster.

“Give that back!” Bucky demanded.

“Hey, is this a Russian .45 automatic?” Sam asked taking one step away from the assassin.

“I said give it back!” Bucky repeated extending his hand toward Sam.

“I just want to see it,” he said turning the gun over in his hands.

“Hand it over, Sam!” Bucky insisted.

“Or what?” he asked hiding the gun behind his back.

“Hand it over, or I’ll shoot you in the face,” Bucky advised becoming even more annoyed.

“Yeah? Well, if you shoot me in the face, I’ll pull your hair out of that bun,” he advised.

“Sam, don’t be stupid! How can you pull my hair if I shoot you in the face?”

Sam thought about it for a moment and replied, “Don’t worry, player. It could happen.”

The two men glared at one another for a moment and then burst into laughter. Quickly, Bucky became serious again.

“Damn it, Sam. Quit screwing around and give me the gun!”

Sam held the gun in front of Bucky, who carefully took it from him and checked it to ensure that the safety was still on before returning it to his thigh holster.

“You’re a real hot head. You know that, Barnes?”

 _“I’m_ a hot head?” he asked sarcastically. “Quit distracting me and remember why we’re here. Of all the people to be on a stakeout with, Steve sticks me with you.”

“What’s wrong with me?” Sam asked.

“For one thing, you never take things seriously.”

“Oh, yeah? I’ll have you know that I take things _very_ seriously,” Sam protested.

“For another thing, you never stop talking,” Bucky snapped as he returned his attention to the warehouse across the street.

“Hey, I can’t help it if I’m not the quiet, mysterious type like you.”

“See, you’re still talking, Sam,” Bucky pointed out.

“You know what your problem is, Barnes?”

“Yeah! Right now, it’s you! So, let me make you an offer. If you can shut up for 5 minutes, I’ll give you a thousand dollars. Can you do that, Sam?”

“A thousand dollars?”

“Uh-huh,” Bucky confirmed.

“When do I start?” Sam asked.

“Right now!”

“Right now?”

“Yep!” Bucky replied.

The two men stared at one another for a long moment.

“Is this a joke?” Sam asked.

“You blew it, man!” Bucky informed him.

“What do you mean I ‘blew it?’”

“You couldn’t keep your mouth shut for one damn minute!”

“Come on, man! I didn’t know you were serious,” Sam protested.

“Sam, stop distracting me!” Bucky urged him.

He watched as Bucky returned to looking through the scope.

“You know, I’m only doing this because Steve asked me to. We’re best friends, so I couldn’t turn him down.”

Bucky slowly lowered the scope and turned to Sam.

“What did you say?’ he asked pointedly.

“I said Steve and I are best friends, so –”

“He may be _your_ best friend, but you are most certainly not _his_ best friend,” Bucky assured him.

“Oh, I’m _not?_ So, you think _you’re_ Steve’s best friend?”

“You’re damn right I am!”

“Since when?” asked Sam.

“Since about 1923, pal,” Bucky said with a smirk.

“Yeah? Well, just remember that best friends ride ‘shotgun’ in the _front_ seat – not in the _back_ seat.”

“Oh, so you’re gonna bring _that_ up?” Bucky asked annoyed.

“Damn right I am!” Sam said defiantly.

“You know, what the hell...I think I _will_   shoot you in the face,” decided Bucky.

“Really? Sounds like you’re asking for a sock in the throat, Mr. ‘Can You Move Your Seat Up?’” Sam mocked.

Infuriated, Bucky replied, “God, I hate you, Wilson!”

“Oh, yeah? Well, you could learn a little respect for your elders, kid,” Sam informed him.

“‘Kid?’ I’ll have you know that I’m almost 100 years old – old enough to be your grandfather so if anyone needs to respect his elders, it’s _you,_ birdman!”

“Maybe you’re older in calendar years but physically, I’ve got a few years on you, so you need to sniff the glove, player,” Sam responded.

Bucky stood with his eyes wide and mouth agape for a moment and then starting singing in falsetto.

“Take these broken wings and learn to fly again...”

“Really? How do you even know that song, Sleeping Beauty?”

“Oh, I know lots of things, _‘player,’”_   Bucky said and flexed on Sam.

“Wow! Okay...it’s like _that,_ huh?”

Smiling, Bucky replied, “Yeah. It’s _just_ like that!”

“WILL YOU TWO CUT THE CHATTER?” Steve yelled into their comms ear pieces.

Realizing that Steve had been listening to their entire conversation, Bucky and Sam fell quiet and stared wide-eyed at one another.

Finally, Bucky broke the silence by saying, “I told you to stop distracting me, Wilson.”

Just then, Bucky saw a small, red laser dot appear on Sam’s chest.

“Sam, get down!” he yelled as he dove in front of him.

A bullet shattered the glass window and hit Bucky on the right side of his chest just below his collar bone. The two men fell hard onto the floor.

“Barnes? Barnes!” Sam yelled in a panic as he grabbed the stunned soldier’s shoulder.

Bucky moaned and quietly said, “Ow...”

As Sam checked for blood, he called, “Man down! Barnes has been hit. Get a medic!”

“Copy that!” Steve replied unable to hide the anxiety in his voice.

“You were hit, but I don’t see any blood,” Sam observed.

“That’s because my togs are laced with Kevlar, you idiot. Help me up,” Bucky said holding out his right hand.

 _“‘Idiot?’_   Help your damn self up!” Sam snapped as he rose to cautiously peer through the lower part of the shattered window.

Seeing that A.I.M. was on the move, Sam deployed his drone, Redwing, to locate the shooter.

“Cap! They’re moving out!” Sam advised.

“Roger that!” Steve said. “Avengers, move into position.”

Turning to help Bucky sit up, Sam said earnestly, “Thanks for taking that bullet for me, man.”

As he sat with his back against the wall, Bucky replied, “See, that’s what happens when you distract me. Now, go help Steve while I shoot out their tires.”

“Will do!” agreed Sam, and he started walking toward the door.

Just then, Steve burst into the room.

“Steve, what are you doing here?” Bucky asked curiously.

“I’ve got a medic on his way. Where were you hit?” he asked anxiously as he knelt next to his friend.

“I can’t be treated by a S.H.I.E.L.D. medic. He’ll rat me out to the authorities,” the assassin advised.

“He’s one of Nick Fury’s secret agents. He won’t report you to S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Glancing quickly at Sam and looking back at Steve, Bucky looked sullen and his bottom lip quivered.

“Thanks, Steve. You’re my best friend in the whole world,” he said.

“You’re my best friend, too, Buck,” Steve replied and embraced him with his back to Sam.

Peering over Steve’s left shoulder, Bucky taunted Sam with a devilish smile.

Realizing that the assassin just got Steve to state who he liked best, Sam looked down at him and mouthed the words, “I hate you!”

**Author's Note:**

> © 2017 Planet Press
> 
> The Marvel characters herein are the property of Marvel Comics which retains the rights.


End file.
